Hand me a life someone!

Isn't it hard to be connected to blogs and facebook sometime? Maybe it's just my ultra crappy mood but I think I might need to hijack someones ultra cool and hip life and replace it with my existence!

Now don't go lecturing me about gratitude and such - - I know; I only feel that everyone deserves a "just sayin'" moment every now and again and this is mine . . .

*disclaimer - - - - above pictured cute nephew is in no way connected with my crappy mood - he is just way too cool for that . . .

"Shirley, Dont call me crazy!" er, um, not funny?

There are moments in my life when I think I am sooooo funny (admit it, you do it too) and then I am sorely mistaken, the post title just happened to be one of those moments. The other day an idea just came to me - love when that happens - and now I am thrilled and excited. I have been very blessed in my life by parents who knew the importance of children gaining experience and exposure. They exposed us to the two different worlds from which they come, they tried to incorporate the best of both cultures. We grew up with a Christmas and January 6th (wise man day:), our home was filled with literature, history, music and language from both lands. But they didn't only want us to know about these things, they wanted us to experience them.

My mother was stubborn enough to say that she would never go back to Argentina until she could afford to take us all. When I was 15, that time came. We still couldn't afford it but we went anyway. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I experienced a new world that helped me to understand how small my world in Morgan Utah really was and what was out there, if I wanted it.

I want to give that kind of experience and exposure to those that I love the most. I have the coolest four nephews that can be had on the face of the earth - Samuel, Mason, Ethan and Jacob. I am constantly amazed at who they have already become and cannot wait to see them grow into their immense potential. I also know that there are more nephews and hopefully nieces that will join our crazy lot and I extend this to them as well. This past week I started a savings account with it's sole purpose being to house the funds for what I will call "Our Adventures". When each of my nephews or nieces turns 10, we will set aside a week of our lives to go anywhere they want to go in the United States of America, their choice. It can be -

San Francisco - - -

The Grand Canyon - - - -

or even . . . North Dakota (this is a picture of their HIGHEST point, by the by)

It will be their choice - they want the beach, I'll find them a beach; mountains, they can have those too or even a city with lights and adventure. They will gain an experience and we will have a blast, memorable for the both of us. The next part of "Our Adventures" has to do with them turning 15. When they turn fifteen we can decide together about a week - - - anywhere in the world that they want to go -

Australia - yeah, sure!

Russia? there too - -

or even . . . China! Samu already said that this sounds like his kind of country:)

Some might say, "you are crazy!" "that would be spoiling them!" And why I for sure agree about the crazy part, the spoiling thing - not so much. This is an opportunity, one that we share and work towards. My only rule for the world trip is that during their years from 10-15 they find a way to earn something, there isn't a minimum amount, to put towards the trip. I am excited for this and although my first 10 year old doesn't happen for 4 years, it's best to be prepared (and also I think I'll need that time to save up the cash:). I love them, I love what I have been given and I can't wait to share it!

Let's hear it for "Our Adventures!" - - - - Bon Voyage World! Well, in four years and from then on out . . .

Once upon a birthday tale . . .

There once was a little girl that was born in the far away land of Argentina . . .

Her name was Susana and she was loved by all - - - Susana grew and grew until she became a

beautiful young teenager. This teenager never imagined that her life would be lived anywhere else but Argentina, that was until she met a handsome young missionary named . . .

Doug. He swept her off her feet and after a year of letter writing she decided to leave all she knew to come to Utah to - - -

marry the love of her life. They were happy and soon were joined - - - -

by four outrageously cool and gorgeous children - -

Gabriel,

Mia,

Mario and

Marcos! Life was not complete however until three beautiful other daughters came along -

Marcela,

Wendy,

and Danielle!

Susana is the best Lela there is, just ask Samu and Mason and Jacob - - -

and lets not forget what Ethan thinks! He loves his Lela because she loves

to bowl and can always be found

having fun or

traveling Europe!

So three cheers for the birthday girl - - -

Hip, Hip

Hooray! Have the best birthday Mom, you are loved . . .

A gift . . .

Tonight I recieved a gift. It came from an unlikely source. I was browsing the new lds.org and decided to listen or read a few conference talks. I began to think about -

President Gordon B. Hinckley. I miss him. He always seemed to be able to say things that felt like they were meant just for me - I never meet him but, somehow, he knew me. I wondered what one of his last conference addresses was and came across this gem. Since I never attend the priesthood sessions, I must have missed this. This talk on anger truly came to me in a time of need. I struggle sometimes with my temper and lately it seemed that every little thing sets me off - a crazy driver, the long line at the grocery store, little issues at work - you name it, I'm probably angry about it. I try to hold it all in but just as he says it often begins to fester,

"So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way.

Grudges, if left to fester, can become serious maladies. Like a painful ailment they can absorb all of our time and attention."

I do this ALL the time and I don't like that about me. The good thing about life is that we can change, I can change. I want to be the type of person that is able to do as the Hymn suggests, "School thy feelings." President Hinckley gives me hope -

"Now, my dear brethren (and sisteren:), in closing I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect. If you will do this, your lives will be without regret. Your marriages and family relationships will be preserved. You will be much happier. You will do greater good. You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful. May the Lord bless you and inspire you to walk without anger, without bitterness of any kind, but to reach out to others with expressions of friendship, appreciation, and love. This is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

So . . . some of you might be wondering, "Great, so you learned that, why share?" Well, dear friends, it's because I need you all to keep me honest and keep my trying to put a smile on my face and speak out with love so that my life can be one lived without regret. I am grateful for little moments that show you that God is mindful, he wants to help and will try to teach us what we can work on. Tonight I was taught, that is my gift . . .

post-edit - - - - I am supper jazzed! I tried my links and they actually work, first time for everything!

also . . . funny side note - I have typed this while laying down on my bed and the whole time I have been feeling really hot, especially my back, and it's been bugging the crap out of me (anger issues much:) - just realized . . . I've been laying on a heating pad!

A quiet Thanksgiving . . .

It was a great blessing to be able to share the day with those I love the most -

Our table set for three with my mom's new tradition of reading a children's book -

Out for a walk in between dinner and pie - it was cold, but worth it -

those two lovebirds . . .

What I am "ful" of . . .

Thanksgiving is tomorrow - in case you were wondering. If ever a holiday has tradition, this is the one. One of those grand traditions is to make exclamations of gratitude. Just so you know, I will get to my exclamations - but I'm taking the long way around. Lately I have been full of it - full to the brim with it! What is "it" you ask? Nothing good.

I have been full of anger and frustrations, self doubt and annoyances. I think there was even a little of hypocrisy and self pity in there, just to top it off. I hate feeling those things but often times it is a daily or hourly battle. It is for all of us, though. Knowing that is often the key to emptying all of those awful things that I am full of and becoming full of something else. It really is all about the perspective. I think, if anything, seeing a different part of the world has given me a lesson on perspective - the world does not revolve around me, for what it's worth, it probably doesn't even know my name, but I'm okay with that. I can be okay, because there are those that DO know my name and love me in spite of it :) and One who knows it all and with that knowledge, I am never alone.

I have more blessings than there are minutes in the eternities to express and name them, and so today, on this eve of thanks, I leave not a list of what I have been given, but a promise to give more. A dedication connected to a hope to become full of love and charity, full of patience and understanding, to be brimming with tolerance and empathy and the ability to see what others need and not only what I lack . . . for therein lies happiness.

Colusseum and Trevi Fountain . . .

Even touching it didn't seem real -

I think I took a picture from EVERY possible angle - you shall see . . .

oops - should have rotated that -

To think that it was all covered in marble that the Vatican stole to create Saint Peters -